Game over
by Kate02344
Summary: Once you start a game, you have to end it. You need to follow the rules and play accordingly. You can cheat as long as you do not get caught. However, keep in mind that before you actually start, the winner has already been decided, so no matter how hard you try, it is still game over. Note: this is not a soft, soothing story about Akashi and Kuroko... at all.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 :**

" Tetsuya !"

The young blue-haired boy had just stepped inside the house. He was about to go upstairs when he heard his name being called. It was his father. He turned around and followed the sound which came from the living room.

" Yes?"

He responded with the same polite and small voice like always as soon as he walked into the big living room. It consisted of a book shelf where his father placed most of his novels and documents and two big sofa facing opposite each other. As he looked into the room, what caught his observant eyes first was the overwhelmingly fiery shade of red. He did not pay any attention to his father who was looking at him, his eyes were focused on the guest who was sitting with his back to him.

" Tetsuya?"

He startled and realised he had been staring unwaveringly at the guest.

" Y-Yes?"

" You look motionless. Is something wrong?"

" My apologies, I was just deep in thought."

" May I ask what had caught your attention like that ?"

Kuroko was surprised when an unknown voice appeared in the air. It belonged to the stranger who finally turned around and showed his face. He was absolutely and undeniably beautiful to the point that Kuroko could not help but gazed at him.

" Pardon me. Is there something on my face?"

Kuroko was caught off guard.

" I'm sorry for such behaviours."

He replied and bowed slightly. His face remained emotionless but inside, he was somewhat perplexed. The father, after a while, said:

" Tetsuya, I want to introduce my client, Akashi Seijuuro."

" Nice to meet you, Akashi-san."

" It's a pleasure to meet you, Kuroko-kun!"

The man greeted politely. Everything about him screamed decency and perfection, or at least to the normal naked eyes, Kuroko's father included. But in a way, Kuroko could feel something abnormal about him. It was not just his mismatched eyes or his pale skin which were astonishing incidentally. Something in his eyes bewildered Kuroko, and not really in a good way. And in a brief second, all of his senses told him one thing: STAY AWAY. He decided to trust them.

" Father, I know it might be rude of me to say but, may I go to my room as I have assignment to do ?"

His voice was as soft as always. Being an understanding father, the other man nodded:

" It's fine since we might need to discuss business in privacy."

Kuroko was grateful and even though he did not show it, he was somewhat relieved.

" Then, I'll be going. It was nice meeting you, Akashi-san."

Kuroko said. He then turned his back and went out of the room, or he intended to. He was only one step out the door when he felt a grip at his arm. It was not painful but the coldness did not go unnoticed. A terrifying chill just from one touch that made his blood run cold. He did not even dare to turn around as he knew who it was, his father's hand was warm, not like that at all.

" Kuroko-kun!"

His name was called, but he did not want to respond.

" Why don't you stay for a while? It's Sunday tomorrow, after all ! Homework can wait!"

Akashi's voice was suave and surely reflected its owner's personalities: elegant, faultless and...unexplainable. Mysterious!

" Don't you agree, Kuroko-san?"

The redhead released his grip and asked the other man who was still in the room, being uncomprehended of the current situation. But he was a father, and he was not going to ignore the obvious harassment right under his nose.

" Well, I actually think that he'd better go. He is not very good at studying, really, and it might take him a while to complete his homework. And we wouldn't want to have a child here, interfering our discussion, right?"

Akashi was quiet and impassive at first. But then a wide smile appeared on his face and he voiced out cheerfully :

" Of course! Where are my manners? I'm terribly sorry for such disgrace, Kuroko-san."

The other man was relieved Akashi let that slide, but he was a bit intimidated. Akashi was having a happy face with a broad smile. However, his pair of eyes which composed of a ruby red pupil on one side and a golden crystalline one on the other side was unreadble. They were frightening. They were haunting...

" Well, Kuroko-san, let's us begin then... But before that..."

Akashi said. He then shifted his gaze from the man who was avoiding his eyes to the boy who was the centre of his attention. He approached Kuroko in silence with a smirk on his face which Kuroko's father failed to notice. The boy was afraid and slowly stepped backwards. He could not feel his shaking feet anymore and his movements were stiff. Akashi walked closer and closer to him but his face concealed his actual intentions.

Before Kuroko noticed, Akashi's face was just an inch from his. He could feel his breath as he began to whisper into his ear:

" Do you like to play games?"

Kuroko was stunned and felt suffocating because of the redhead's overpowering aura in the air. And the unusual question of him really confused Kuroko. He did not know what to do, so he just gave him a random nod and earned a smile from him.

" Oh, you like, too?"

Akashi spoke out loud in order to have Kuroko's father hear what they was talking about as he did not want an interference.

" Let's play a game next time, OK?"

His face was gleeful. But those threatening eyes said something otherwise.

" Y-Yes, Akashi-san."

" Sure. Why don't you go back to your room now?"

Kuroko only waited for that. He then bowed and walked away, in relief. Akashi then went into the living room where Kuroko's father was awaiting him.

" My apologies for taking way too long! Your son sure is interesting. How old is he?"

" Uh!" The other man was surprised at the curiousity of Akashi." That child is a freshman in highschool...so he is 16."

" Oh dear! The way you sound it make me feel old, Kuroko-san!"

" My, my. I didn't mean it. You're still young, being only 25... And yet, you're a CEO."

Both of them chuckled slightly but none of them was truthful. They were just redundant conversations for business.

" Anyway..." The older man said." Why don't we begin?"

However, the feeling of fear occured again as he saw the face Akashi was making. It was frightfully scary.

" Actually," Akashi's voice was filled with authority." I think I will go home now."

" Pardon...?"

Akashi stood up.

" I usually prefer a long-term cooperation, unfortunately."

" Wh-What do you mean? My company is willing to work permanently with yours."

" That's not what I mean, Kuroko-san."

Akashi replied and walked away. As he reached the door, he turned around and watched the dazed man. The shadow hided most of his face, leaving only the pair of eyes visible. His glance gave chill all over the innocent man's body. His voice was low but each word was audible:

" I just don't think I will meet you again. That's all."

 **End chapter 1.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 :**

Kuroko's POV

Red has never been my favourite colour. Quite frankly, I hate it.

At first, I just simply liked pastel colours better. But on my tenth birthday, I saw red...and I hated it...

One of the most precious people in my life, my mother, lied on a bed of red. The thick, red liquid smudged her beautiful pale face. I was still standing on the pavement with wide eyes, trying to find her crystalline blue eyes. But the overwhelming red was everywhere. My last memory was seeing my mother who smiled at me wholeheartedly and just a second later, being run over by a truck. Long trails of blood all over the road... and all I could see was red.

But that was a long time ago. I am sixteen now. I have friends, teachers and especially my loving father who will always support me. I am still a reserved person like usual, but I do admit that life becomes more joyful. I no longer cry myself to sleep nor try to isolate myself from everyone. Memories are past now!

But past does not leave me alone...

On a beautiful and ordinary day, I encountered red, again... Right inside my very home and so near to my father and me, a fiery, vibrant scarlet was present. It was mesmorizing, but not at all in a good way.

" Tetsuya, I want to introduce my client, Akashi Seijuuro."

How ironic! Even his name had red in it!

And then, he turned around...and showed his face. An attractive and charming face it was. But no matter how hard I tried, I could never forget that pair of eyes. Two colours: crimson and golden were so strong and powerful yet beautiful that it took your breath away.

At that moment, I questioned myself:" Why here? Why now? Why am I so uncomfortable?"

I really thought I had gotten over with the trauma. But how wrong I was!

My heart was pounding and my hands were shaking. I was afraid, but not only because of the past. Something was not right with that man and I honestly meant so.

The look of those eyes were seemingly normal, I thought. But as soon as they spent sometimes on glancing me, they showed a realisation and a hint of extreme emotion. Interest? Curiousity? Or excitement?

I was not so sure myself. But there was one thing I knew, I was truly terrified.

Thankfully, my father was there. I managed to go to my room and avoid him, so everything was over. Now that I think about it, I regret a lot because of how naive I was back then. I actually thought I could be free from red... My life just got back together so why, why did everything turn out like this?

Why did the worst things possible happen on my birthday? Why did my seventeenth birthday become a disaster? Red, could you not leave my life alone? Why did I not trip somewhere so I could not go home? Why was I so helpless? Standing there, I watched as shades of red swallowed my home... Fire...It was boiling hot. It was ruthless. It was red... And I could not do anything.

On my seventeenth birthday, I lost my home and my father as red took them away from me. Therefore, passionately and relentlessly, I hate red.

 **End chapter 2.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter** **3 :**

" Oh! You woke up?"

The man in white coat opened the door into the room and immediately asked as soon as he caught sight of the small figure weakly sitting up. Seeing the boy's sleepy and confused face as he observed the room briefly, the doctor comprehended that it might take a while to explain the current situation.

" Kuroko Tetsuya..."

Kuroko raised his head upon hearing his name being called. The way his beautiful blue but somewhat bleary and glassy eyes looked innocently at the doctor made things more difficult. The doctor could not bring himself to tell his patient the truth and yet, he should have gotten used to this, telling heart-breaking news to mentally unwell people.

Having been so immersed in the stream of consciousness, he did not realise the attentive gaze of the curious boy.

" Doctor...?"

" Y-Yes?"

The doctor was surprised and was immediately gotten pulled back to reality. But he was even more surprised when he was greeted with despite soft but still sharp eyes.

" May I ask what is that you're holding?"

He questioned as his index finger pointed at the object placed on the other one's left hand.

"Oh! My apologies if you're not fine with it."

" No, no. I don't mind."

The doctor did not reply back which accidentally caused an uncomfortable silence between the two. After a while, Kuroko found it fairly unbearable so he decided to voice out:

" Um..."

" Yes?"

" Aren't you going to tell me what that is?"

Once again, the doctor glanced his teddy bear and finally, he answered:

" It's my lucky item."

" Pardon?"

Kuroko was baffled which the doctor absolutely understood as he got that kind of reaction a lot.

" Today Cancer's lucky item is a teddy bear and since I am a Cancer, I find it important to carry one around."

" Um... Even...in the hospital?

" Exactly!"

The idea was kind of weird but seeing how earnest the doctor was, Kuroko decided not to pry into anymore, so changing the topic might be sensible.

" So, doctor... Why am I here?"

" ... Um..." He stuttered as his eyes averted to the floor." Do you...happen to recall anything?"

Kuroko's expression remained perplexed as his mind started to find every piece of memory in his mind. He then slowly enumerated :

" It was my birthday yesterday which was on January thirty-first. Of course, I did celebrate it with my friends and then...and then..."

He frowned as his concentration gave him a headache.

" And then... What?"

He worriedly looked at the doctor to find an answer since his mind was blank.

" Do you remember what time you went home?"

" 7...no, 8 o'clock perhaps?"

" To be precise, you went back at 8:20 o'clock."

" What happened?"

That very question made the man's face puckered up lightly. He stayed quiet and started to take small, heavy steps towards the window.

" Kuroko... Can I address you that way?"

His voice was constrained and hard which created an uneasy atmosphere.

" Sure."

The doctor did not say anything, though. He looked outside the window with an intense gaze. His face was surely unhappy but it was not to be described as sad, either. Melancholy was probably a more suitable adjective to make it more detailed.

He placed his hand on the window frames and gently pushed them,opening the window and letting the breeze come in.

" Kuroko..."

He finally spoke despite having his pair of green eyes still looking outside.

" Yes?"

" What is life?"

" Huh?"

" I'm sorry. Do you want me to repeat that?"

" No, I heard you but...why all of the sudden?"

However, he recieved no reply. The soundlessness continued again for five more minutes or so until the doctor decided to talk:

" In your opinion, what is life?"

Right after finishing the sentence, he turned his face and looked intently at Kuroko. Crystal blue and emerald green seemingly blended through the eyes.

" Here."

He said as he gave Kuroko a file.

"For the first time ever, I cannot say it, so please, read it."

" What is it?"

Kuroko wondered as he held it in his hands.

" Your fate."

The man in white coat answered simply and walked away. As he reached the door, he seemed to remember something, so he said, with his back to Kuroko:

" And by the way, you don't have to call me 'doctor' all the time."

He turned around, glimpsed at the other one's still confused face and walked out of the door after completing his sentence:

" My name is Midorima Shintarou."

 **End chapter 3.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 :**

Midorima got out of the room, feeling horrendous. Sympathy, perhaps, but mostly guilt. His stomach ached, his forehead covered with sweat and his mind was not calm like usual.

" Have you told him yet?"

He heard the voice which came from his right side, but he did not react or even turned to the said direction as he hated what the person was going to say. Seeing the way Midorima stayed silent, the other person seemed to understand the circumstance.

" So, you have not done your job properly. You want me to do the talking, then?"

" No. I've already handed him the file. He's bound to get the message after reading all of it."

" It's too much of an important news to just simply indirectly inform him like that. I would prefer you to tell him straight, Shintarou."

" Akashi! His father died yesterday! For him to stay with a complete stranger from now on is an unbelievable situation to be in. He needs time."

Midorima was angry at the other person's absurb orders so his tone was relatively loud. The redhead who was leaning on the wall with his arms crossed was not affected by Midorima's unusually hard voice, though. He was still calm while the darkness covered most of his face, leaving the smile that never failed to make Midorima's blood run cold.

" Well... He can have a great amount of time at my place. After all, I'm the only one who is willing to have him adopted. Shintarou, don't you want that child to have a home, you want him to be on the street?"

His annoying sneer and the convincing way of talking irritated Midorima who was standing next to him as a scowl appeared on his face.

" When are you going to be satisfied, Akashi? This is not right."

What he said seemed to be intense. However, he knew himself that he was not in any position to say such things and that Akashi would never listen. After saying all that, he averted his eyes, avoiding Akashi's gaze.

" Then..."

Akashi shifted slightly and approached Midorima.

" Why don't you stop me, Shintarou?"

Out of nowhere, Akashi's face appeared in front of Midorima, close. The redhead then grabbed Midorima's collar hard, pulled him to his level and stared into his eyes.

" Talking to me like that! Why don't you stop me, Shintarou?"

His voice was low and threatening and his pair of eyes did not only see Midorima's eyes but probably his inner thoughts, as well. The opposite person's hands were shaking and he was not going to lie. He was truly fearful.

Akashi, after recieving no response which was the best response, pushed him into the wall. Midorima did not expect that and got his head hit the hard surface. He was released from the tight grip and panted slightly with his hand touching his chest to feel his fast heartbeat and to also calm himself. Akashi just looked at the sight and chuckled:

" Shintarou, you are no different from me. We are the same."

He then walked slowly towards the green-haired man and patted his shoulders.

" Don't try to change anything because...we are the same."

Midorima heard each and every word clearly. After Akashi left, he stood there alone in the hallway with complex feelings. He could not deny things Akashi had said. But there is no such thing as an absolute concept. He knew that even though the chances were not high, he could still save Kuroko.

" Kuroko."

His voice was heavy. And there he saw, Kuroko with puffy and filled with tears eyes, looked at him in disbelief. Midorima saw everything and his heart was painful.

" You read all of it, right?"

No answers, just quietness inside the room that suffocated both of them.

" I'm sorry for your current situation, but..."

Midorima abruptly broke the silence and drew Kuroko's attention to his face, his dejected and sorrowful face.

"... what happened, happened. Now, shake them off and get ready. You'll be discharged tomorrow and..."

 _He knew that even though the chances were not high, he could still save Kuroko._

"... accommodated in Akashi Seijuuro's residence."

 _Yet, he did not do it._

 _Because he and Akashi are the same._

 **End chapter 4.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

" But I refuse to."

Kuroko turned down the offer. He had only met Akashi once and suddenly, he had to live with that man. It was understandable of him to protest.

" If you don't have my approval, you cannot force me to be given custody by a stranger."

That was true. Unless you have the person's agreement, you are unable to adopt them. It was law. And Midorima knew this fact, too.

" Are there anything keeping you from staying with him?"

He queried sternly.

" You have no relative other than your deceased parents. Nobody offers you such a great opportunity other than Akashi Seijuuro. Don't be so obstinate, Kuroko."

Kuroko was so close to accept it, but his intuition was holding him back.

" But..."

He murmured. Midorima saw the unsure face of Kuroko and decided to come to him.

" What is on your mind right now? Are there any certain matter you wish to discuss with me or Akashi?"

He sat down, next to his patient. His voice lightened as he talked more softly and waited for the boy to speak his mind. Kuroko, needless to say, had countless of thoughts running through his mind. Why was everything happening so fast? Why was his house caught on fire? Why did he lose his memory of the said incident? And...

" Why did Akashi-san want to take care of me?"

Kuroko finally spoke. He then looked at Midorima with doubtful eyes.

" He's just a client of my father. They weren't friends and unquestionably, he and I weren't so close, either."

" May I answer that question?"

The room became soundless immediately upon hearing the voice. Kuroko and Midorima startled, they knew whose voice that was and certainly recognised the figure standing at the door.

" Akashi... I thought you left."

" Well...I was intended to but..."

He halted and stepped inside, quietly, slowly. Kuroko was utterly surprised when he realised that man was approaching him. Midorima looked at the sight and wondered himself why he was getting agitated just seeing Akashi walked towards Kuroko.

"... I figured Tetsuya here might be a handful after knowing the news."

His voice was delighted yet cold in the same time. Kuroko was chilled to the bone, having heard his name so ghostly called. And Akashi's face was as untruthful and fake as it could possibly be. That was why he disliked this man, always hiding his real intentions.

" Tetsuya..."

His hand reached out and touched the other person's face. Kuroko was frightened but, he did not resist. No, he did not dare to resist.

" You don't like me?"

" N-No..."

He stuttered.

" Then, what is there to not accept my proposal?"

" Um...because..."

It was not working. Everytime he tried to answer, he sweated and his heartbeat fastened considerably. He could not shake the fright and the uneasy feeling off.

" Then, let's conclude, OK? You are fond of me and I am willing to give you a home. Therefore, you're to live with me, correct?"

"..."

" Before your father died, He left a testament and it said that you, Tetsuya, his only son, will receive 50% of his properties ( the other half will be given to charity)."

Akashi, out of the blue, said. He then gave Kuroko a stack of paper.

" If you don't believe me, you can have a look. This is his last will."

Kuroko's head was so full with numerous information he could barely hold in. His father died, he might live with a stranger from now on and then what? He was having a great amount of fortune in his hand that may worth millions.

" Tetsuya, you're plentifully rich now. However, do you honestly think you have what it takes to carry the money around and not waste it, especially at your young age?"

"..."

" I think not. And who else has a capability to guide and lead you to become a successful person like him besides me?"

"..."

" And please, don't forget that I used to work with him, so I understand his way of dealing things greatly."

Kuroko was sceptical, but a part of him had already been deceived.

" Tetsuya..."

Akashi sat down next to him and murmured.

" You don't believe me? Fine then, but... at least believe in your father who was the one that entrusted me for the responsibility."

His determination began to crumble under . Akashi leaned in and with a smirk, he asked lightly:

" You don't trust him?"

His eyes widened as he jerked slightly.

" No!" He turned to Akashi and claimed.

* * *

"Quite a speech you've had, Akashi!"

Midorima said as he opened up the soda can that he had just bought from the vending machine. They were currently sitting on a bench outside the hospital after Midorima had finished working.

" Thank you, Shintarou."

" You clearly don't understand how sarcasm works."

He retorted and turned his face to another direction, not looking at Akashi.

" Messing around with those children's minds and coaxing them into playing your insane games. When will you stop?"

Akashi snickered at his fellow's words which made Midorima nervously glanced at him.

" Messing? It was them who had approved so easily."

" Kuroko will not have the same result. He won't listen to y-"

However, Midorima was forced to rethink as the red-haired man was grinning crazily.

" No... Shintarou. The game has already begun. And that boy has partaken in it."

 _It is already too late. There is no turning back now._

 **End chapter 5.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 :**

" Akashi-san, would you mind reminding me why, out of all your high-end mansions, we have to stay at a suburban one?"

Kuroko, out of the blue, questioned Akashi's decision with his monotonous voice. That drew the attention of Akashi, who was sitting in front of him. He smiled at the query and put down the book he was reading.

" Simply because it would be easier that way, for me to instruct you, that is. I want quietness and no interruption."

Kuroko seemed to be displeased with the vague answer, though. He put on a normal facade, but was not enough to conceal his lack of satisfaction.

" Tetsuya, don't be sulky."

" I'm not, Akashi-san, I'm in fact love to be far away from my current whereabouts along with my friends."

Akashi just enjoyed the conversation.

" 'Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit' is what they say, Tetsuya."

" Who are 'they', then?"

They carried on that talk almost all the way to Akashi's residence where Kuroko would eventually stay.

* * *

" Are you tired, Tetsuya?"

Akashi asked as they stepped out of the limousine.

" Not really."

They then proceeded to walked into the place which was massive. It already took the limousine about five minutes just to go past his front garden. The actual building in front of them in the moment was no less immense. The two-story bulding was painted white with the black outlines of the windows and also had two white pillars at the door. After passing the beautiful fountain, they were greeted by a certain number of maids and footmen awaiting them.

Behind the high double door, it was like a different world. The living room, although being fairly simple, was elegant and seemingly luxury. There was a set of sofas placing near the left-sided wall along with a dark brown coffee table, a crystalline chandelier on the ceiling, paintings on the walls and a small bookshelf composed of novels.

" So, what do you think?"

Akashi turned to Kuroko and asked for his opinion.

" It's nice."

He murmured.

" 'Nice' is a rather humble description, Tetsuya. It's not my best dwelling, but I'm quite confident about it."

" OK, it's beautiful."

" I'm flattered, then."

Kuroko then slowly approached Akashi's bookshelf and randomly took one out.

" You mind?"

He pointed at the book while looking at Akashi, asking for a permission.

" Feel free to."

Kuroko then opened the page and skimmed over. It was quite a book he chose there. The cover showed the title which was " This blinding absence of light". Quite an intense book which fictionalises the real story of political prisoners who lived for decades in complete darkness in 6'X3' cells.

Seeing how interesting the book was, Kuroko just immersed himself into it and somehow forgot about the redhead.

" Tetsuya."

" Yes?"

Kuroko turned to Akashi despite having his eyes still attached to the pages.

" Since you like that book so much, why don't you read it at your room? Everything has already been prepared for you and it will be better to read in silence without any disturbance."

The suggestion sounded great to Kuroko so he nodded. Akashi then signaled a nearby maid and told her something about leading Kuroko to his bedroom.

* * *

Kuroko quietly followed the maid. They went upstairs and to the end of the hallway where his room was. The girl then opened the door and revealed a very well-arranged bedroom. It was not too big which was even more perfect for him as he did not like big space.

" Are you fine with this?"

The maid asked with a cheerful tone and a happy expression.

" It's good."

He replied. She then gestured him to step into the room.

However, the very moment his foot touched the floor inside, a eerie feeling came. He could not ignore that and averted his eyes to the girl.

" Is there something wrong?" asked the petite maid.

" No, I just remember something and want to tell Akashi-san."

She stayed quiet for a while and spoke:

" You can tell me and I will inform him, Kuroko-sama."

" No, it's really import-"

" Sir!"

The girl cut Kuroko off . Her face darkened and suddenly she coughed. And right away, out of nowhere, three footmen appeared next to her.

" Kuroko-sama, do you want to see Akashi-sama?"

Kuroko eyed the four people who were staring unwaveringly at him and with an extreme cautious look on his face, he nodded.

" Then, my apologies." The girl said." But it was Akashi-sama's order to show you the room and make sure you are in your room."

" So...Kuroko-sama, would you mind going into your room?"

 **End chapter 6.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 :**

Since that woman's words were far too clear, Kuroko seemed to be unable to protest. He observed each one of them and silently agreed to his sensible decision to do what they said as the people in front of him did not appear to be amateur.

" I understand."

He muttered and seeing there was no reaction, he slowly stepped backwards into the room rather slowly. He was extremely cautious, though, with his eyes still glancing at them, wondering about their or HIS motive.

However, one could never be totally guarded. The very moment Kuroko was inside, to his surprise, one of the footmen was of the utmost quickness and moved towards him, successfully pushing him down. Kuroko fell backwards and lied flat on his back. Before he was even aware of the situation, those people stared coldly without any sympathy at him and one of them forcefully shut the door. Kuroko was shocked and tried to get up with difficulty. He frantically twisted the door handle. But it was futile. He then continuously knocked hard on the door while he shouted:

" Open the door! Hey! Open the door!"

There was no reply or any attempt to release him. Once in a while, he would alternate doing the same thing in vain with turning his head back and forth to look for a window or any other escape route. Eventually, Kuroko came to his senses and understood that he was locked inside of the room. Uncontrollably, he fell to his knees and helplessly stared at the door.

* * *

" How is he?"

The man who was really focusing in his work jerked his head up. He averted his eyes from the screen to the one standing behind him.

" Akashi-sama?"

Akashi ignored the man and directly looked into the screen. It showed a normal bedroom with the exception of a young man being trapped inside.

" Has one hour passed?"

Akashi questioned while his gaze was still on the kneeling figure at the door.

" It actually has been nearly one and a half, sir."

His expression remained the same at the statement. He gestured the man to go away so that he could be alone in the dark room. Seeing the Kuroko's condition, he sighed:

" Damn! I missed the good part."

Having said that, he still sat down and poured himself a glass of cognac. It was nice to have a drink to watch the entertainment with, apparently.

* * *

Kuroko opened his eyes. His vision was blurred at first. But then he managed to see more clearly. What was the hard thing he was feeling?

He loosened his curled hand and touched the cold surface. Just by sensation, he could tell he was lying on the floor .Ten, maybe fifteen minutes or so later, getting tired of staring at the ceiling, he leaned on his right hand and weakly sat up. When he was finally on his feet, the first thing he did was glimpsing around. He was really in the bedroom and the fact that he was somewhat an inmate was an inevitable reality. Therefore, even though he was greatly desperate, he was probably not too desperate, at least, at the moment. Earlier, fright took over him and grabbed hold of his awareness. The clock which was in his field of vision told him it was 4 o'clock in the morning. He was out for quite a long time, unfortunately.

Kuroko wandered around the room, being relatively dazed and oblivious as he had no idea what to do. That was when he accidentally stepped on something which caught his attention. He looked down and saw the book that he was reading yesterday.

A small, very small but definitely present emotion was visible in the pair of dull eyes: anger. Out of the blue, he kicked the book fly and caused a loud noise as it hit the door. He then startled, realising what he had just done.

" What... was that?"

Kuroko asked himself. It was as if in a brief second, he was...deranged. What was that supposed to mean?

He was deep in thought while approaching the door and picked up the book. He stroked it and felt guilty for his mindless action as he was a bibliophile.

" For the time being, I should not get too depressed."

That was right. He was unsure of Akashi's reason or what might happen to him afterwards, so really, there was no point of being all nervous and fearful. What he needed was calmness. And what other way to stay calm other than reading a book. Yet, he could not seem to be able to focus in reading it like the day before. Everytime he looked at the words and thought he was immersing into the story, he ended up realise he was not and instead played with the pages.

Kuroko started to flip the pages fast and randomly while his eyes occasionally averted to the door. Abruptly, he felt something strange and looked at the book. It was the backcover. Usually, the outside part of a book is thicker than the other pages. However, this particular one was much thicker, even compared to the front one. He then observed it and percieved that including the cover, there were five sheets fused together. They were joint with each other, as far as he could see. But then he spotted a tiny gap between the blank papers and the soft cover. Gently, he sticked his pinkie finger into it and strangely enough, they separated immediately, revealing a series of number on the cover.

The look on his face showed an even greater confusion when he murmured the numbers:

" 1234 **5**?"

Kuroko was lost in thought when suddenly, he felt a blast of cold air and more severely, he heard a clatter. He knew that sound, that very sound he had just heard the previous day. But he questioned himself, wondering if it was truly what he thought it was. Shakingly and doubtfully, he raised his head and there he saw a certain person standing by a wide-open door.

" Well-done, Tetsuya."

 **End chapter 7.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 :**

" Did he leave any bruises on you?"

Akashi asked as he rested his face on his right hand with eyes fixedly looked at the other man sitting opposite him. He received no response, though.

"Tetsuya, don't be like that!"

Having put it that way, Akashi still heard nothing from Kuroko as the blue-haired male kept being somewhat resentful.

" Tetsuya dear, I recalled that it was you who tried to oppose rather aggressively."

" It was a fair thing to do to someone who imprisoned you."

Kuroko's tone was slightly harsh compared to usual along with an uncharacteristic glare.

" Imprison, you say? To me, it was more like giving you a secure safety."

Kuroko's reaction was an abrupt hit on the table. He stood up straight away and his eyes became fiercer as time went by. His actions were equal to an absolute disapproval.

" The very second I agreed with staying at your's place was a very beginning of extreme dangers. How foolish I was for believing in your words!"

Akashi was not in any way taken aback by Kuroko's sudden anger and just seemed to enjoy the rare display of emotions of the typically reserved young man. Despite knowing that, Kuroko did not even care and tried to get Akashi to hear him.

" And earlier, one of your lowly hired man twisted my arm upon seeing me approaching and questioning you. How is any of that safe?"

" He simply misunderstood, Tetsuya. If you want, I can fire him afterwards."

Akashi gave Kuroko one of his self-satisfied and smug look whick only irritated the man even more. Kuroko could not get anymore frustrated and soon spoke up:

"What I want? I want to know what are you attempt to do...with me?"

" I'm afraid I cannot answer that."

Akashi replied fast and quickly averted his eyes to his employees:

" Right now. I would like Tetsuya to be in his room."

They got the message and walked towards where Kuroko was sitting.

" Kuroko-sama," one of the maids requested." If you please follow us."

Of course, Kuroko denied right away and intended to stay in the living room where he was near the entrance of the house. However, he caught sight of those people's intense glances and above all, Akashi's grim smile. Therefore, opponency was unwise.

"Don't worry. This time, nobody would lock you up."

Kuroko was definitely relieved, but of course, he did not forget what he had learnt: do not trust the redhead, so he was cautious.

" However, I need you to do me a favour."

His word made Kuroko furrow his brows. He then gestured one of the girls to give Kuroko something.

" What is this?"

Kuroko asked while holding the object in his hand.

" Well, that's obviously a book."

" Yes, I know that! But why do you..."

" You just need to read it."

Akashi cut him off and said a vague order which greatly confused the blue-haired man.

" Read it?"

" Yes! That's it."

Kuroko stayed silent for a while and proceeded to question:

" What are you up to, Akashi-san? And you haven't answered me about the weird numbers I found."

The said man just smiled at that query and stood up. He then walked away while his cold voice echoed in the air:

" What I am up to will strongly depend on you, Tetsuya. And by saying that, I mean: if you're willing to entertain me, or not."

A statement that silenced everything and left all beings to question themselves. Such arrogance seemed human.

* * *

Kuroko did resist, but only to a certain extent. And sadly, that much was not enough to have Akashi's employees listen to him. Therefore, he had to spend more time inside the room where he had just been locked up.

Everything happened just the same as the day before. Kuroko had to follow them and got a somewhat forceful treatment. They would be nice if he did what was told so basically, he ought to act like a docile animal which was absurd. He could not find any other way to do, though, so in the meantime, tolerance was necessary.

"Kuroko-sama, just like what was told, we won't lock the door, so you can do whatever you wish."

Well, he could not vacate this place, could he?

" Can I not go to my room?"

The girl knitted her brows lightly at that.

" I'm afraid you must do that."

" Sure."

Kuroko sighed and without any further ado, he walked in and closed the door by himself, yet wanting to escape so badly. He leaned onto the door and longed for freedom as the suffocation was killing him. His eyes dejectedly looked at the sight in front of them. A beautiful room it was, with bluish walls, turquoise floor. A lava lamp next to a sizable, tidy bed and a fairly large desk with stacks of books along with a white wardrobe. In addiction, a rainbow abstract painting was hanged above his bed. He could not care less as he was exhausted and stressful. However, he did not want to sleep. Who know what might happen fo him when he was deep in his slumber?

He started to have a headache. He was nervous, but really, maybe reading the book was a good option to stay awake. He gazed at the cover and murmured the printed title:

" His broken mind?"

Not the best title, really. He thought its undefinite meaning gave him a rather anxious and fearful feelings. Not a very good sign.

Kuroko then turned the book over and curiously read the summary at the back cover:

" Tekyuro Katsou, a nonchalant man whose life was quiet and ordinary, was caught by a wicked demon who was hungry for him. Having trusted his playful words, Katsou was tricked into his castle and day after day, he was tortured horrifyingly until he went frenzied and lost his sanity. Katsou was then senseless and broken, much to the demon's desire as Katsou was perfect to be devoured."

Kuroko immediately put the book down and went the the bathroom. The story was crazy! He needed to calm himself down after reading it. It was only a synopsis, yet he was frightened. He was not used to horror, but still, he was strangely afraid.

He let the water wet his hands and splash into his face. It did feel better. He reached out and grabbed the towel to dry himself. Suddenly, he heard a noise, it was a ringtone. But where did it come from? He put the towel on its hook and quickly went outside, looking for the source of the sound. And it seemed to come from the wardrobe. He approached and opened it. And there was no clothes, just a small flip phone.

" Hello?"

Kuroko answered it but there was no reply. He then looked at the screen and realised it was a missed call. However, there was a text message and decided to have a look.

" 113247-678933-466732-132298-465781?"

 **End chapter 8.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 :**

Kuroko stared at the groups of numbers being separated by hyphens in confusion. What were they?

Suddenly, he heard a knock at the door. Sighed, he moved towards it and just to rest assured, he did not open it and simply voiced out:

" Who is it?"

" Akashi-sama has a message for you, Kuroko-sama."

Feeling relatively unsafe and worried, he cut to the chase:

"What does he want?"

Apparently, the girl was taken back by the unusual straightforwardness of the seemingly polite man but she proceeded anyway:

" He would like you to go outside and have some fresh air."

" Is that it?"

" Yes."

From Kuroko's point of view, Akashi could never stop being strange and unpredictable. Just the day before, he had Kuroko locked up and at the moment, he wanted Kuroko to go outside?

" Do I have to do it now?"

" ' The sooner the better' he said, but it would be the best if you could do it today."

Kuroko stayed quiet for a while. He was wondering. What if this was another weird and somewhat illegal thing that Akashi set up? That would seriously be unpleasant.

However, he had been stucking inside the mansion for two days, already. The lack of fresh air and sunlight were killing him.

" Are you still there?"

He uttered loud enough for her to hear.

" Yes, I am."

"..." He was slightly undecided." Wait for me."

* * *

" Um... Thank you for the set of clothes."

Kuroko reluctantly said to the girl who was walking next to him. They were going downstairs and towards the entrance.

" You're welcome. Akashi-sama also sent you an apology on behalf of the unprofessional arranger who had left your wardrobe empty."

" Was he or she the same person who placed this phone in it?"

Kuroko asked while showing the girl the said object. All of the sudden, the girl halted which also caused him to stop moving and averted his gaze to her.

"Tetsuya."

Standing by the open door, Akashi eyed Kuroko while holding a key in his hand. By a hand gesture, he dismissed the unneeded girl, leaving the two men alone in the wide living room. As she went away and was completely out of sight, Kuroko, as expected, was nervous. The way Akashi is always looking at him hungrily and openly never fail to give Kuroko a fright. That time was not an exception.

" So..."

Akashi finally broke the utter silence and by a glance, he drew the blue-haired man's attention to the beautiful scenery outside. And the first thing to appear in his field of vision was a red Audi A5 Cabriolet, waiting to be driven.

"... I'll drive" he said as he played with the key." Shall we?"

Despite Akashi's appealing offer, Kuroko did not show any sign of excitement.

" I don't want to go, anymore."

" Tetsuya... I insist."

Kuroko just frowned at that and looked downwards, not wanting to meet the radiant irises.

" Just now, you have expressed objection for being excessively protected, so-"

" What an interesting way to say you imprisoned someone! Akashi-san!"

"Tetsuya dear, I made a mistake, OK? And right now, I'm trying to compensate for that..."

Kuroko's cautiousness was unwavering throughout. His disbelief in Akashi never stopped increasing day by day.

"... And really, what better way to recover from what happened than to have a ride outside, as long as you like."

Akashi waited. He waited for something that was bound to appear no matter what, upon those blue eyes, a softness.

"How about this?"

Kuroko looked up and saw the redhead took steps towards him. In a brief second, they found themselves face to face.

" I guarantee I'll do you no harm. Is that fine by you, Tetsuya?"

The other person was astonished. It never occured to him that Akashi would actually say that. But he needed to make sure.

" Then... Akashi-san, would you cross your heart?"

* * *

Besides Akashi's immense mansion, there were not many habitations located in the area. Apparently, this suburb was rather new and seeing its distance to the city, it was understandable to have such a small amount of residents. The view was exceptional, though. It was so rare to have an unpolluted environment where he could freely inhale the air without feeling nauseous because of exhaust fumes.

The cool wind went through the gaps of his powder blue hair and was followed with a handful of leaves and white petals of the Yoshino cherry trees in flower. Some petals stuck in his locks. He slowly removed and gently sniffed at them.

" They have a nice fragnance, don't they?"

The man who was sitting next to him and was also holding the steering wheel commented. Kuroko agreed and nodded.

" It has been nearly an hour."

Akashi said and Kuroko simply answered with a 'yes'.

" Do you want to return? It's going to get dark, soon."

"Well..."

He was having difficulty in making up his mind.

" Perhaps... Five more minutes?"

He turned to Akashi and asked with longing eyes. Akashi glimpsed aside and just smiled at that.

"Sure."

* * *

Akashi arrived home at about 6 o'clock with a undeniably satisfied Kuroko. The redhead got out of the car and gave the key to a footman to park the car. As they went to the entrance and were greeted by Akashi's hired people, Kuroko occasionally looked at the person by him, wanting to say something.

" What is it, Tetsuya?"

" I...want to thank you for the enjoyable ride."

Akashi snickered.

" You're welcome."

When they reached the door, the redhead glanced at Kuroko, still having the smile on his face and whispered:

"It's your last, though."

Kuroko, after having his two feet came in contact with the floor inside the mansion, could not make sense of his inaudible voice and therefore asked:

"Did you say something?"

Akashi looked at Kuroko and walked past him.

" Nothing."

* * *

Which one is crueler? The one who takes your hope away abruptly? Or the one who shows you what its beauty is before taking it away?

The calm before the storm, indeed.

 **End chapter 9.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

 _Twas a starry night, howbeit dark in the room_

 _Long time the hope he sought, yet he forgot_

 _As stars shone brightly, he stood lost in thought_

 _As stars seemed white, he regarded red with a halt._

 _The disgusting room and the fetidness therein_

 _As the knife he held was wet and red_

 _Shivering he was after a while_

 _As he came to realise himself._

 _" Tekyuro Katsou dear!"_

 _Afraid he was as he was called_

 _Within the darkness he created_

 _Came the demon who ghostly chortled._

 _" Look what you've done, my dear"_

 _The demon sneered and pointed at_

 _The young girl who knew nothing_

 _Besides bringing tea to Katsou._

 _" Run amok you did" the demon said_

 _Mortal and coward Katsou was_

 _" My hand that touched, a blade that cut_

 _Had ended her?" he questioned._

 _A gyre his mind became_

 _As the demon sneered and pointed at_

 _The one whose hand that grasped a knife_

 _"Yes, my dear, she is gone_

 _Gone forever, gone for good_

 _And twas you under this starry night_

 _Who took the knife and pierced the chest_

 _Of one maiden who did things right_

 _The bloody chest and the pierced heart thereof_

 _Twas you, Katsou, darling, who did the job."_

 _A bigger gyre his mind became_

 _As the fetidness from his own clothes_

 _The same it was of the fetid room_

 _As blood dripped down from the very knife_

 _He pulled out from the girl who screamed_

 _A piercing scream twas and lied on the ground._

 _As it was drier and thicker, the crimson blood_

 _The demon had the final laugh_

 _" A nice face you have there, Katsou dear!"_

 _Twas a starry night, howbeit dark in the room_ _._

His broken mind

Shiki Rae Soujua

 **End chapter 10.**


	11. Chapter 11

" The ceiling?"

Kuroko wondered as it was the first thing he saw. His vision was blurred, though, probably because he had just woken up. With a terrible headache, he sat up and was quite surprised that he was not lying on the bed, but instead on the floor of the bedroom.

Still being rather drowsy and half-asleep, he intended to rub his eyes with his index finger to rouse himself more. All of the sudden, he felt a strange sensation on his usual smooth skin. It was sticky and somehow, it was as if there was a texture existing on the surface of his skin. Anyway, it was not an enjoyable sensation to perceive.

When his eyes managed to see more clearly, he spotted something. Something so utterly horrifying that made him regret seeing. All over him, it was the same as the thick liquid that was circulating in his arteries and his veins: BLOOD. A mass of oxidised blood that had become dry and dark in colour. Immediately, he felt nauseous and was trying his best not to vomit. Especially after inhaling the air of the room, the metallic smell of blood and catching sight of someone. A girl he did not even know by name or by face. A complete stranger to him. And the first time ever in his life, he encountered someone who was not breathing anymore. Right in front of him, a bloody with a face filled with horror corpse.

The nausea returned and became much more terrible. He had another stomachache and his limbs went numb as his blood ran cold. He perceived it, he was in his room with a dead maid. But, his mind was still so blank. He could not even scream for help as he did not realise how frightened he was. Suddenly:

"Tetsuya!"

He startled and began to shiver vigorously. It was Akashi. And he was knocking the door.

" Are you awake? Care to join me for breakfast?"

However, the person he was talking to was unable to reply. Upon hearing his voice, Kuroko's heartbeat increased drastically and his voice was too hoarse to speak.

" Tetsuya? Are you still sleeping?... May I come in?"

Kuroko heard the door handle being twisted slowly while he had horripilation.

" DON'T COME IN!"

He shouted like his life depended on it. But it was too late as he could see a lock of red hair through the open door.

" What's wrong? Why did you shou-?"

Akashi worriedly asked as soon as he entered the room. But he stopped after seeing Kuroko, who was sitting on the floor with blood cover half of his face and the rest of his body.

" Te-Tetsuya?"

He stuttered with his pupils widened. He could hardly realise the blue-haired male. Kuroko was silent...in fear. His shoulders started to shake and tears filled his blue eyes. Akashi stared with a severe look flastered on his face.

" Tetsuya, what happened?"

Tears rolled down his pale face as he shook his head.

" I-I don't know... I really don't..."

Akashi frowned and took out his cell phone. As he dialed his phone, Kuroko watched with fear. Of course, a girl was killed with a knife through her chest and he was the only one in the room. Could it be...?

He stood up abruptly and ran to Akashi. The redhead was astounded when his phone got slapped away.

" Tetsuya...?"

Akashi stared at the person who was gasping terribly.

" I didn't do it."

" What?"

" Don't denounce me. I-I didn't kill her..."

Kuroko gripped Akashi's shoulders tightly with his eyes begging. Tears kept rolling down as his voice was shaky.

" I did not kill her."

* * *

Akashi sat on Kuroko's bed and waited patiently for the person who was having a shower.

" Akashi-san."

He averted his eyes to the figure who just got out of the bathroom. Kuroko was spotless from head to toes.

" 20 minutes! Well, it was hard to get it off, right?"

Kuroko just nodded. Restlessness and apprehension were written on his increasingly pale face. He did not even approach the redhead and kept his distance.

" What happened to that girl?"

His voice was barely audible for Akashi to hear. The other one just sighed and lay down the bed.

" I took care of everything, so rest assured."

" Oh."

He murmured to himself. The silence appeared and seemed to be everlasting. Akashi just lay there and Kuroko froze at that one spot near the bathroom.

" Hey, Tetsuya! Have you read the book yet?"

Gently and unexpectedly, Akashi broke the silence. Kuroko was comparatively surprised but responded anyway:

" No, I haven't. Sorry."

" Oh! What a shame!"

Akashi commented while regarded Kuroko with an unreadable expression. Soundlessly, he got up from the bed and moved towards the door. And Kuroko could not contain the strong emotion anymore.

" Wait!"

He shouted. Akashi halted but he did not turn around and face him.

" Why don't you say anything about the incidence just now?"

His voice was hurried and very unlike him, but he did not care. His feet wobbled in anxiety as the haunting memories came back.

" What's there to say, I wonder?"

" So... Are you saying you believe me?"

" No!"

Akashi slightly turned his body and gave Kuroko an intense sidelong glance.

" It means that you should keep your mouth shut."

Kuroko gulped, seeing how hard that person sounded.

" You and I are the only who know about this. Should you kept this secret to yourself and only to yourself. A secret remains a secret when those who knows about it don't give it away nor utter a single word about it."

Kuroko watched as Akashi left the room and after a while, his trembling feet gave in and he fell down on the hard, cold floor.

 **End chapter 11.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12 :**

They were having breakfast in the dining room next to the living room. It was needless to say, beautiful with the set of a round, black table with matching two chairs. Opposite that was a wide open window showing a great view of the back garden. Despite the luxury, Kuroko seemed unexcited and had been staring at the same sight which was the food for quite a while.

" Tetsuya, the food will be cold if you keep looking at it like that."

Akashi reprimanded. To be honest, Kuroko was clueless about what he was going to do. Well, he did not even know what he was doing. The horror of seeing deaths was just too immense for a young man like him. He had witnessed his dear mother's tragic accident, learnt his kind father's death by reading a mere file. And about two hours ago, he saw the corpse of a complete stranger right in his bedroom. So to be able to swallow food without feeling disgusted was impossible. After looking up, Akashi saw Kuroko's eyes which was like that of a vulnerable child and sighed.

" Fine, then."

He said as he took a napkin placed by the plate and gently wiped his lips.

" If you're not going to eat anything, then I'd like you to at least drink all your juice."

Kuroko followed his words and picked up the glass near his hand. The rim touched his lips and he sipped it. But as he felt the liquid rolled on his tongue, a nausea came at which he choked and pulled the glass away. With considerable effort, he swallowed all the juice in his mouth and became pale afterwards. He did not realise his hands were shivering but Akashi did. He gestured the maids to get out so that Kuroko and him were alone.

"Why don't you go and have a rest, Tetsuya?"

Kuroko seemed to have the same thing in mind, but Akashi could see a hesitant expression.

" Is there something you wish to tell me?"

The slight change of Kuroko's expression told Akashi he was right. After opening and closing his mouth several times, Kuroko finally spoke up:

" Would you please allow me to stay in another room?"

His timorous voice resonated weakly in the air. And the redhead just smiled at that.

" Why?"

That was unexpected. At least, to Kuroko.

" W-Well, I simply think that it would be unreasonable to stay in a place where-"

" What if I decline your desperate request, then?"

Akashi held the glass in his right hand and moved it gently from side to side, being rather amused by the small frown of one confused Kuroko.

" I-I don't understand."

" Tetsuya dear. Please don't forget where you are right now, my place. Therefore, it would be nice if you were to listen to me. And right now, I'm 'asking' you to stay at that same bedroom."

Akashi's statement somehow angered Kuroko.

" It's true that I'm being taken care of by you. However, that doesn't mean my life depends on you."

He blurted out and soon became nervous about his own words. Akashi quietly pulled his chair and stood up.

" So you're saying that without me, you can still survive?"

" Well...kind of but-"

" Leave, then."

Kuroko was startled by the coldness of his voice, as if the redhead did not have a single consideration for him. A fright suddenly came to him as his mind formed a mental image of living on his own. A young adult with an awful amount of money received from his late father. And he was scared. Scared of changefulness, scared of abandonment, scared of loneliness, scared of shamefulness and...scared of unknownness.

Having been so deep in thought, he was jolted as someone tapped his shoulder.

" Hey..."

It was Akashi, who out of nowhere, appeared right in front of him.

" I'm just joking."

He whispered into Kuroko's ear and put something in his hand. Without causing any unnecessary noise, he walked out and left Kuroko alone. After he exited, Kuroko breathed a sigh of relief. He really thought his heart was going to burst from anxiety. And with a glance, he saw on his hand a room key.

* * *

"It's probably this one."

Kuroko thought to himself as he stood in front of a room. If his previous bedroom were on the end of the hallway, then this one was located on the other end. And how strange, as both rooms were symmetrical! He knocked on the door a few times but received no response. Thinking that nobody was inside, he slowly twisted the handle and opened the door. As he briefly observed the room, he was frightfully surprised.

It was not different from the first one. The size, the furnitures, the colours,...everything about this room was exactly the same as the other one. Kuroko immediately vacated and ran downstairs. Kuroko looked around quickly and concluded that Akashi was not in the living room. However, he did spot two maids who were cleaning the room, so he approached them.

" Excuse me."

Kuroko talked to the one who was sweeping the floor. The girl heard his voice and stopped her action.

" What can I help you with, sir?"

She politely asked and really seemed to have expecting him. Kuroko awared of that, as well, but answered anyway:

" Would you mind telling me where Akashi-san is, please? There is an important matter I would like to discuss with him."

" Kuroko-sama, regarding your 'important matter', could it be you wish to speak to Akashi-sama about your new bedroom?"

The girl asked softly. Kuroko was astonished to some degree, but his composure was still steady. But really, the feeling of being ignorant about something that everyone around appeared to know well was not a good feeling at all.

" Yes."

" Well, my apologies as Akashi-sama had just gone out for business and will not return until late."

She halted for a moment to regard Kuroko's reaction with sharpness but she failed as he was putting on an emotionless facade.

"... However," She continued." He did leave you a small note."

The maid then took out something from her pocket and gave it to him. A small, old piece of paper. He received it and read it straightaway.

 _Kuroko, seeing that you have stayed in your bedroom for three days, I assume you have familiarised with it and therefore, I have ordered to arrange your new bedroom the same as the old one was. If there is anything you find unpleasant, then feel free to request the maids._

 _Akashi Seijuuro_

Kuroko was speechless. He thanked the maid and returned to his new bedroom with confusion. His mind was excessive with thoughts and he could not seem to pretend anymore. They might think he was stupid, but he was clever and was clearly awared of his surroundings. Walking upstairs slowly, he began to let all the unanswered questions to scatter in his mind:

1\. On the first day he arrived, why did Akashi lock him up?

2\. What were the code-like numbers he managed to discover?

3\. What had happened to the girl who died in his bedroom?

4\. Three days are not a lot for him to get used to the room, so why bother to arrange the same?

5\. In that note, why did Akashi-san address him as 'Kuroko'?

6\. The incident happened about less then three hours ago and he had just asked Akashi for a new room one hour ago, right? So how can his new bedroom got arranged in time?

 **End chapter 12.**

* * *

If you guys read the entire story carefully, I think you guys can figure out these questions. Let's be amateur detectives!:)


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 :**

With an exhaustion resulted from overthinking, Kuroko took small steps and went to his bedroom, his old bedroom that was. As the door opened, he felt a gust of wind and got chilly right away. Quite reluctantly, he set foot in and was startled because of the floor's coldness.

" Calm down."

He told himself and breathed steadily.

" I'm just going to fetch Akashi-san's book, quickly."

However, it was not that easy as he did not remember where he had placed it. When he passed the bed, he glimpsed it and the book was not there.

" Maybe I put it on the desk."

He assumed and approached the large piece of furniture at the corner of the room. Upset he was as he had to walk to the furthest place of the room and truthfully, he did not want to stay there any longer. The room was soundless, so he could hear his own heartbeat and almost every sound his movement caused, including his footsteps. And the ominous feeling he was having was tremendous. When he finally reached the desk, he quickly searched for the book between the stack of books. His hands were cold and quivering, but he was still self-controlled enough to not make unnecessary mistakes.

" There is it!"

His brain received the message immediately and he was relieved. He carefully pulled it out so that the stack remained straight. With the book in his hand, he turned around and strode towards the door. But as he walked pass the bed again, he tripped and fell down. It was not hurt, though, as he managed to prop himself against the rug. However, he was expecting to come in contact with a hard surface, not with a soft piece of cloth. And that brought him to another question:

7\. When did this room have a rug?

Curiously, he shifted his body to feel more comfortable. After a few seconds, he knelt down beside the rug and looked at it cautiously. It was a small, oval, cotton rug which baffled Kuroko. Because that was not the best kind of rug and Akashi surely did not seem to use inexpensive furniture. Kuroko then decided to examine further and picked it up. He caressed it, lifted it up and stared at every part of it.

"Oh my, what am I doing?"

He asked himself as he realised he was doing something stupid. Who would care if somebody put a new object in the room. It was none of his business. He chuckled at how ridiculous and frivolous he was.

" I may have stayed in this house for too long."

He then put the rug back to its place, the floor. All of the sudden, he spotted something.

* * *

Kuroko could not stand the feeling of being in the dark. If Akashi thought he was going to pretend not knowing, then that man was seriously wrong. Especially after what Kuroko had seen. Urgently, he returned to his current bedroom and as soon as he got in, he sat at the desk and took out a sheet of paper. He began to scribble crazily and unorganisingly, until the paper was full and he had to use another one. It was rare to see him that ill-tempered.

"I cannot do this."

He huffily lied down with his arm rested on his forehead after one long hour. He could not figure it out and he was somewhat frustrated thinking about it, seeing the pieces of paper scattered on the desk. Tiredly, his eyelids became heavy as he felt the same way about his body. Heavier and heavier, he gently fell into a slumber.

* * *

"Tetsuya, Tetsuya..."

Kuroko was jolted slightly as he opened his eyes. Rubbing his eyes, he tried to make sense of the slim figure in front of him.

" Hey, the food might be cold. Are you awake yet?"

Kuroko managed to see more clearly. He was in a dining room, a very beautiful dining room, but not the one he had been in a few hours ago. It was a lot smaller and the furniture was simplier as well. And he knew it well.

" Tetsuya, we're going to have vanilla milkshake, your favourite drink, afterwards. But before that, we need to eat the entrée."

Kuroko quietly stared at the person and picked up the spoon. He put a spoonful of soup in his mouth and frowned slightly.

" What's the matter?"

The other man questioned. Kuroko averted his eyes towards him and muttered under his breath:

" The soup is already cold."

"Oh dear."

He smiled at Kuroko with a pair of pretend-to-be angry eyes.

" Well, that's what you get for eating so slowly, Tetsuya."

Kuroko looked at that sight and without realisation, he apologised:

" I'm deeply sorry."

And yet, the other person still smiled kindly at him.

" Would you like to have another one then? I'll have the chef make more."

He seemed very nice and genuine. But Kuroko was not having a single change about his emotionless face. He glanced around and whispered:

" There is no one here."

" Excuse me, Tetsuya, could you repeat that?"

Kuroko abruptly stood up and got out of his chair with a blank face and a tightened heart.

" Where are we?"

He asked quickly which changed the other person's expression.

" 'Where' you asked? Home, of course."

Kuroko's blue eyes instantly became more serious. Words from his mouth came out harsher than usual:

" No! That home you are talking about is no longer exist."

" W-What? Tetsuya?"

The man stuttered at the weird Kuroko, but Kuroko did not stop:

" What date is today, then?"

"It's January thirty-first."

" NO!"

Kuroko could not help but to shout at him, he ran to that man, grabbed his collar and pulled him up.

" That was my birthday, last week."

His glare was intensified and his grip was strong but in the same time shaky as the emotions were threatening to burst out. He opened his mouth and shakingly asked the final question:

" Who are you, then?"

The man widened his eyes in surprise. But then he smiled and softly answered with a husky voice:

"You, of all people, should know who I am."

" But..."

Kuroko murmured. He gritted his teeth in frustration and uncontrollably, a teardrop rolled down his face.

" I thought you died."

"I did."

His response sounded so easy and expected, but it just broke the blue-haired male's heart.

" Then, why are you here?"

His voice choked and he loosened his grip. And the other man just smiled, a smile of a ghost of the past and his hands touched Kuroko's face with love.

"To tell you the truth..."

Kuroko was startled upon hearing that. But what the man said after what was truly shocking. Just one sentence that certainly would stuck in Kuroko's mind for the rest of his life. And then everything collapsed, and that man just vanished and... Kuroko woke up.

His eyes met the ceiling again, but soon after that, he cried. A silent, useless cry of weakness. He could not think of anything besides that man's words that kept lingering in his mind:

"To tell you the truth...that it was not an accident."

He cried and cried as he hated the fact that his last talk with his father was when he was not living anymore. And also because of anger and resentment.

* * *

The limousine slowly arrived at the mansion. The old chauffeur got out and opened the door for the one whom he was working for. Akashi stepped out and was greeted by the properly trained maids as he walked to the entrance.

" It's quite late, isn't it?"

Akashi asked the girl who was holding his briefcase. She glanced at the clock on the wall which showed 10 o'clock.

"Yes, sir, it is."

"Those old incompetents were time-consuming to deal with, you see."

" I understand."

" I'm going to my office for a while, so... Oh."

He appeared to recall something.

" How about Tetsuya? Have he eaten anything yet?"

The maid was about to answer when she was interrupted by someone who was walking down the stairs.

" How kind of you to consider me, Akashi-san."

Kuroko said with a clearly sarcastic voice. Akashi seemed to get something and told the rest of the people to go somewhere else. It was just a minute later that the vast living room only comprised of two people, one standing near the door and the other one by the staircase.

" It must have been exhausted, having dealt with inferiors, Akashi-san."

Akashi observed the blue-haired male who had not once looked him in the eyes since he returned and responsed:

" Well, it's something you are bound to get used to when you have worked as long as me."

The two then chuckled as dishonestly as they could. After that, what filled the room was awkwardness.

" Have you read the book, yet?"

Akashi decided to query, but he just received an threatening look from Kuroko along with a hard tone:

" Well, actually, I have. And I would love to discuss about it right now, if you don't mind."

He then smiled and pointed at the sofa, suggesting that they ought to sit on it.

" My apologies, Tetsuya, but I've got work to do."

Akashi declined. However, Kuroko did not accept that.

" And I have business as well, with you."

Akashi knitted his brows a little, seeing an obvious protest directly to him.

" I'm very serious here, Tetsuya. Why don't you tell me about your matters tomorrow, OK?"

Akashi said and walked pass Kuroko. But as soon as he had his back to Kuroko, he heard a metallic noise that made him guarded immediately. He kept that position while he turned his head a bit, enough to see what was happening behind him. He saw Kuroko and more importantly, the dangerous thing on his right hand.

" Oops, how coincident as I am serious, as well, Akashi-san..." The words were taunting yet the voice was so cold." Would you mind sitting down and having a conversation with me?"

The redhead was silent at first, probably he was eyeing.

" Well, I suppose I'm free now."

He agreed and slowly stepped towards the sofa while still facing Kuroko and gazing the object in his hand.

" Would you mind if I requested you to put your hands up, Akashi-san?"

" Fine. Why not? I certainly don't enjoy having that 'toy' of yours gone off."

 **End chapter 13.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 :**

Akashi did what was told unusually obediently. He slowly and quietly stepped far away from Kuroko and sat down the sofa while the blue-haired man stayed in the same posture.

" Oh dear," Akashi looked at Kuroko and commented." I've sat down already, so could you stop pointing that gun at me?"

However, Kuroko's glare was just fiercer as time went by, like that of an experienced hunter, calmly reading the atmosphere and controlling an animal. It was not until a few minutes later that he replied:

" After you answer my queries, then I might put this revolver down."

And that statement broadened the smile on Akashi's face.

" 'Might' you say? So there is a chance that I'll get several bullets even if I do things correctly... as you tell me to?"

" Oh," Kuroko seemed not amused." There is a chance you can get some right now if you don't stop beating about the bush."

He lifted his eyebrows slightly at that, but the self-assured look on his face was unwavering.

" So? What do you want to ask me about?"

Once again, Kuroko did not answer right away. He moved from his current position by a few steps while his gun still pointing at the target.

" Instead of questioning you about the important matter, I will talk about what had happened in this mansion."

" Well, feel free to."

" First, let's discuss about your codes."

Kuroko stared at Akashi again and continued:

" Let me remind you the situation. After I borrowed your book, you had a group of... whoever they really were, lock me up. And the day after, I accidentally found out about the pages that were fused together and with the soft cover of the book, and on the cover facing inwards, there were numbers which were: 1234 **5**."

" Yes, you told me that but-"

" But you refused to tell me about them. So I stayed quiet. However, not long after that, on the very same day, inside the wardrobe, I mean the empty wardrobe," He emphasised the word 'empty'." There was yet again another series of numbers and in case you forgot, it was: 113247-678933-466732-132298-465781."

Kuroko halted to see the reaction on Akashi's face, but he just saw an annoying smirk.

" And you assume the codes are somehow related to me?"

" They are related to you because...it was you who created them."

" Then I would like to see your proof."

" Well, that's not essential. What's needed here is your true intentions, basically."

At this point, Akashi was impressed.

" Explain to me, then. How do those codes work?"

" All the codes were connected."

"..."

" The first one, if I think of it as cardinals, then I'll never be able to solve them. But the key here is to look at them as ordinal numbers."

" I'm yet to understand your point."

" The code doesn't work as one, two, three, four, five, but rather as first, second, third, fourth, fifth ( 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th). And as it was written on the cover, fifth was darker, meaning accentuation. So when I discovered this, I questioned myself and this is your first question:

1\. Am I the 'fifth'?"

Kuroko came nearer to Akashi with the barrel directed to his forehead. And Akashi just asked:

" What made you think the code should work that way?"

" Because as I have said, it would link to the second one, since I actually solved the second one firstly."

" Even though the second one appeared to be more complicated?"

" The longer a code is, the more it is a giveaway. There are five groups of numbers. Each group has six numbers and in this case, it would be more sensible to view it as cardinals, seeing how many digits it has."

" What clue help you find the answer?"

" I can clearly see that there is a difference between them. Oh!" He exclaimed." Pardon me, I mean there are two differences between the first four groups and the last group."

" What are they?"

" Firstly, the amount of digits. 113247-678933-466732-132298 and 465781, there is one particular digit in the fifth group that the others do not have."

Akashi murmured the series of numbers and concluded:

" Is is 5?"

" Yes, it is." Kuroko agreed." And now, I'm going to analyse the second difference between them. That is the obvious repetition : 11, 33, 66, 22 except the last group which has no repeated number."

" I cannot see anything through those clues."

Akashi rolled his eyes, but Kuroko was not affected by that.

" I was the same, at first. But along with the first code 'somebody' gave me, I can confidently come to a conclusion."

The redhead intended to say something, but he decided not to as he was curious at how things were going.

" Seeing how it was darker or how there was only one of it, five was special, or rather, the 'fifth' one was speical. And what does it have that separates it from the first four? The fact that it is not 'repeated', or because it has something that the others does not have. And that is my second question, Akashi-san."

Kuroko regained his concentration after explaining and held the revolver more tightly which was a direct warning to Akashi.

" 2. What does 'it' have?"

And he received a burst of laughters from Akashi.

" And I can just say that I don't understand a thing you're talking about. But-"

He stood up from the sofa, to Kuroko's surprise and looked at him with great haughty, as if there was no gun pointed at him.

"- since I am such a kind person, I'm going to admit that it was me who wrote them."

" And so you admit you're a sickening person?"

" Pardon...?"

" You see, I have never said there were only two codes. There are in fact three codes. This morning, I returnned to my old room."

Akashi widened his eyes.

" And under a rug which I have never seen before. I've found this."

Kuroko searched in his pocket and pulled out a piece of very thin sheet and showed it to Akashi. Seeing Akashi was speechless, he carried on:

" How strange it was for you, a billionaire, to own such a cheap rug which was light. But because it was light and easy to be moved around, I managed to find this paper that has a matching colour of the floor. After I peeled it away from the floor, I found another code written on its face, the face that was facing downwards, to be precise."

"..."

" Do you want to or is it going to be me who explain the meaning of it?"

He asked and quickly, he averted his eyes to the paper to look at the code and then looked back at Akashi.

" (5). What a disgusting desire, Akashi-san. Clearly, 5 is me. 5 is being put around by brackets and therefore, it is trapped inside..."

Kuroko glared at Akashi and exclaimed coldly:

" HOW badly do you want me to be confined?"

"..."

" Or how badly do you want me to go berserk?"

Akashi looked down, refusing to meet the blue eyes that was filled with fury.

" The death of my father, the imprisonment and the dead maid. You set all that up!"

Kuroko angrily shouted and the hand that held the gun became shivering because of the overflowing emotions. But Akashi still remained silent.

" I was confused when you gave me an exact room. But you did that in order to have me remembered the dead girl, right? So that I'll get obsessed and crazy."

His voice was quavering as he wanted to know the truth. But Akashi did not budge.

" And as I ran my hand on the desk in the new bedroom, it was dusty. Why was that? Because you have prepared all of that for a long time... Why did you do that, Akashi-san?"

He called and called the redhead's name. But his voice was the only thing that vibrated in the air.

" AKASHI!"

He yelled and threw the gun away and ran towards the redhead. He gripped his shoulders in frustration.

" Why aren't you saying anything? Did you really kill my father... and burn our house?"

But he was pushed away, weakly. Tremblingly, Akashi walked past the blue-haired male and wandered around until he stopped before the fireplace which was opposite the sofa. He stood there with his face unable to be seen by Kuroko. And Kuroko, he went and picked the gun up. Striding towards Akashi, he aimed at him while stood right behind him.

" What's wrong with you? J-Just tell me. Did you-"

He was cut off.

" It was not intentional, Tetsuya...'

Akashi talked inaudibly. His voice was so small and weak. And not long after that, Kuroko, who was still holding the gun, heard something. A sob?

Kuroko was panic. He shook Akashi. But he was like that of a doll and fell towards the left, almost into the fire if Kuroko did not push him.

" Is he paralysed?"

A thought ran through Kuroko's mind as he stared at the figure on the floor. He was worried and decided to turn around and...

" Tetsuya."

He heard his name being called and turned to face Akashi. But then, he felt something. At first, it was numb. But not long after that, he felt a pain, an immense pain that got stronger and stronger. So utterly painful that he felt breathless and lost his own balance and fell backwards. What just happened?

He shakily moved his head to see his body, the place that was spreading that pain and saw red. The same red he knew and hated. Red that smudged his mother's face. And now, red was pouring out from his abdomen as the fire iron pierced him. He looked up and saw the same red who was smirking delightfully.

" A-Akashi..."

He tried to call that man's name, but it took him every strength to do that, so he had to lie there helplessly, while his body was quivering and he was harbouring his hatred towards the great actor, Akashi.

"To be honest, I thought it's going to take nearly a month for you to accuse me. But you got hasty, Tetsuya."

" W-Why?"

" Because you exceeded my expectation, Tetsuya. You figured out all the codes. Yet... it was not enough. Do you know why it was not enough?"

Akashi knelt down and sneered at Kuroko. He pronounced each and every word carefully and slowly so that Kuroko would not miss anything.

" Because it was not me who killed your father nor that innocent girl."

Kuroko widened his eyes and tried to ask. But he could not. Akashi walked away, towards the entrance, and never looked back. Kuroko heard the car's engine and understood. He understood his situation. However,...

However, Akashi was not different from a demon...

Under the starry night, the beautiful, luxurious mansion that worthed a fortune was soon lit. All the people inside it managed to escape, but one was left behind. That person was pierced and was unable to move or crawl. He waited. Not for anyone who ran to stop and help him, but to wait for an unknown trip to an unknown, faraway place. A journey that does not have a return ticket. He felt awful. The fear of himself, the fear of unknowness. They were indeed terrible.

As his lungs filled with carbon dioxide, he tried to open his eyes once again to see the sight. The ceiling was going to fall down as the fire was horrendous. He smiled at how ironic it was to see the thing he hated the most at his last minute.

Ignorance is bliss, they say. Had he pretended to know nothing, would things have been different? If he had walked another road, would the outcome have changed?

He did not know.

As he could struggle no more, his eyes started to close as his last vision was filled with the ruthless red. And he lost his consciousness, right before he spotted something else. Despite fragile and unclear, he saw an emerald green.

 _The game is not over yet._

 **The end.**

* * *

I had great difficulty writing this, to be honest. My first intention was to have Kuroko died, but then, seeing there are still so many unsolved problems, I decided to write a sequel.

I know it is terrible to have a cliff hanger, but, I do not want to give you a half-hearted story. So if you can, read the sequel "Things we cannot foresee".


End file.
